Crafts

Washi "Trendy" Tape at Beverly's Crafts

12:23 PM

I've always bought washi tape online with the exception of Sanrio Surprises. Whilst visiting some family in the Bay Area, I happened to come across a craft store and wondered if they have washi tape. I walked through the isles of Beverly Crafts and I was surprised to see a section dedicated to washi tape. They have different kinds of patterns. As much as I want to buy a dozen tapes, I have to settle for three since they cost $3 a piece.


Paperchase Stickers at Target

12:15 PM

I was browsing through Target (one of my favourite Stores) and I happened to find Paperchase Stickers. I know I told myself that I'm not going to buy any stationery, but I couldn't resist. I couldn't pass this up. They also have other Paperchase products such as binders, pencil cases, notepads and journals. I had to stick with the stickers since I have so many notepads and journals. I'm hoping that Target will continue to sell Paperchase stickers.


Planner

Week #16: Study Day

12:14 PM

I've been pretty diligent with my chores, but with the upcoming CSET, I've been quite busy trying to make sure I know all of the material before taking the exam. I've also tried to incorporate the "7 Day Ab Challenge" since we have an upcoming holiday to Hawaii coming up. Hopefully, I can make it to the end of the challenge since the crunches get harder and harder as you approach the last day of the challenge.


Crafts

DIY Washi Tape

1:51 PM

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything. Three months to be exact. I’ve been busy studying for the CSET exam, coping with a spring cold/flu and also trying to organise and decorate the house. Another reason that I haven’t blogged either is Instagram. I post a lot of pictures about my travels, food, and just about anything interesting. If haven’t blogged, the chances are, there are a lot of posts on Instagram.The “washi tape” craze has hit the market. Stores like Beverly’s Crafts are carrying an assortment of washi. It was hard to find washi. I normally purchased them on Etsy or at Sanrio Surprises.The first one I bought was the Little Twin Stars washi from Sanrio Surprises. I love this washi (even though it’s pink) because I can write on it without having the ink smear. There’s a downside to the this design though, I hate writing on Kiki and Lala, so I decided to use it as a border decoration on my Filofax pages.

I searched online and found a pack of Martha Stewart washi tape. I was thrilled with the pattern and went ahead and bought them on Amazon. I really don’t like Martha Stewart’s washi tape. It’s glossy and you can’t write on it. You’d have to own a sharpie to be able to write on it. It’s purely decorative. I went on to buy the Scotch Expressions tape which is similar to the Martha Stewart brand.Finally, I was able to find washi tape that’s similar to the Little Twin Stars Washi I have. I couldn’t believe when I found it at Target and the price was reasonable. Now I have an addiction.But the price of washi tape (including shipping) is somewhat expensive considering what I plan to do with it. I’m hooked and I need alternatives. Of course, I’d still buy them, but I have to set myself a limit.

The thing about being a Do-It-Yourselfer, I started thinking about ways on how I can make my own washi tape. And since I want more, I made the decision to try to make it. The cost of a generic brand of double-sided tape and whatever paper you want to use is cheaper than buying spools of washi. There are several different ways you can make your own washi. I prefer this method better. Here are the instructions with photographs. Please bear in mind that I’ve taken these photos with my iPhone and might have been a little lazy to edit them.


DIY Washi Tape

Materials:

Double-Sided Tape
Scissors
Patterned Paper
Commercial Grade Parchment paper.





 


The first thing you want to do is check the measurement of your double-sided tape. Some tapes have a backing on top and others do not. The ones that have the backing are quite expensive (and I couldn’t find them at Target), so I decided to use the one without. That’s where the parchement paper comes in handy.

If you’re thinking of doing this, there’s no easy way to make a continuous spool of washi if you’re using double-sided tape without the backing. It’s possible to do it both with the backing or without, but just to save yourself from heartache and frustration, just make it in strips.

First, grab a long pice of tape, the length doest matter as long as it doesn’t exceed the length of the parchment paper you just tore out.

Tape it to the parchment paper. Grab your paper strip and start applying it on the tape, making sure that all the edges are neat and that there are no bubbles. When you’re finished, cut the wax paper with the tape and roll it onto a cork. It’s that simple.

I know you’re wondering why commercial grade parchment paper, why not wax paper. In my experience, the double sided tape tend to adhere pretty well to the wax paper and when you try to peel it off, it’s like peeling an old sticker from a glass or plastic jar.It’s not hard to find commercial grade parchment paper. They can be found at restaurant supply stores.




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